Today Jennifer from Everyday Life is guest posting while I am on maternity leave. 

I have never been a fan of Tinker Bell. In Peter Pan she comes across as ill-tempered, spoiled, jealous and vindictive. So what lessons could we possibly learn from this little "tinker"? I promise, there is one really good one that I have taken away (after having watched it 600 times thanks to my 3 year old pixie).

Disney has created a few new movies that are on Netflix and DVD about Tinker Bell and her friends. In the one titled Tinker Bell we are introduced to knowledge of where fairies come from and how their "talents" are determined. When it is determined that Tinker Bell's talent is that of a "tinker fairy" she originally embraces it with excitement. With all of the talk and excitement of making the trip to the Mainland for the changing of the seasons, Tinker Bell gets even more excited until she is informed (by a not so nice jealous "fast-flying fairy, Vidia) that tinker fairies do NOT go to the mainland because they are not that important.

With this new revelation, "Tink" decides that she should pursue other talents. She takes lessons from a water fairy, a light fairy and an animal fairy and they all end in near disasters. She even goes so far as to ask for advice from her "friend" Vidia, which absolutely ends in catastrophe. The changing of the seasons is going to be delayed after the major setback.

The weight of her failures on her shoulders, Tinker Bell resolves to leave Pixie Hollow forever. She meets up with Terrence,  a dust-talent sparrowman. He has one of the most important jobs in Pixie Hollow: each day, he rises before dawn to help hand out pixie dust to the other fairies. In an attempt to make a point, he acts surprised the Tinker Bell even knows his name because he is just a sparrowman. Not realizing the depth of her words Tink tells Terrence, "Your talent makes you who you are. You should be proud." Terrence replies, "I am proud." This cuts Tinker Bell to the core and she realizes the importance of her talent as a tinker fairy.

The rest of the story is yours for the watching. Will the seasons get to change on time? (side note: the season changing fairies are failing me here at home because one day it's 40 degrees, the next it's 70 and the next day there is a threat of wintery mix... I digress). My point of this theatrical summary is that we all have talents, given to us for the greatest reason - to build the kingdom of God. I realize that pulling a spiritual life lesson from a movie about fairies almost seems like a far reach, but it hit me really hard; how many times have I attempted to embrace talents of others for my own advancement or pleasure? How many times have I intently avoided the calling placed on my life because I didn't think it was really what was best for me? SO MANY TIMES!

In the daily Bible reading plan that I am using, one of the recent passages came from Romans 12. I leave you with what I hope is an inspiration to be proud and use the gifts God has given you for His glory:

Romans 12:6-8 (NLT)

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.  If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.  If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

About Jennifer: I am a full time Christian, wife and stay at home mom. I am a part-time blogger, social media addict and occasional book reader. I hold a B.A. in Psychology and am finishing my Master’s in Marriage & Family Counseling. Alabama has been my home for more than 25 years and will probably always be my home and I'm OK with that.

Last summer I wrote a post for Money Saving Mom about our experience paying cash for the hospital birth of our son. 

And since I am having another baby in a few weeks I plan on doing it again. Now granted our financial situation has changed a lot in the 17 months since our son was born. 

My husband has a better paying job. We have better insurance and we have built up our savings. 

But I still get questions from readers in similar situations we were in asking for tips. 

I got this email from a reader: 

We are planning to do this with our first child and hope we don't have to do it for the others that follow but because of the circumstances at this time it seems it will be unavoidable for baby number 1. How did you go about talking to the hospital about paying cash? Any tips for who in the hospital to talk to and maybe specific questions to ask? Approximately how much should we expect to pay out of pocket? Any specific tips for avoiding unnecessary costs while at the hospital? For now, that's all I have but I may have more later. Thanks for answering! :)

I am certainly happy to answer this reader (or any reader if you want to shoot me an email!).

Sometimes these situations are unavoidable. I hope this is an easy process for anyone going through this. Know that as a new mom, you will be in my prayers.

Note: We did have insurance, it was just really, really, really bad insurance. Our bills reached five digits fast. Because we paid our bill when it was due instead of paying paying in installments we payed about 20 percent less. Yes, that is a lot. And yes, it is a LOT to pay out of pocket. 

We are almost done with the early to rise challenge? Will it stick without the accountability? 

Has getting up earlier brought more success? Well, for me it kind of has. I have brought in new clients to work with in my businesses and because I am getting up earlier I have quiet time to work and think. 

So yes, maybe it will stick. 

Be quiet. I tell my mind that every night. It doesn't listen. 

I have a busy brain. I am always thinking and planning and making my next list. I am not a sit still type of person. 

I was talking to my mother the other day and she said "getting up before the baby give you an opportunity to just be quiet." 

I've never been a person who relished the quiet. I am working on it. Being quiet with God. Being quiet by myself. It's harder for me then it should be. 

This morning I laid in the bed a long time after I woke up. I prayed, I read my bible and I made a list. I need to do all of these things to make my day work. 

I've talked before on how I need to organize my mind. I am a list person. Without a list my day would fall apart. 

I have a growing boy and a growing business and I have to balance those. Sometimes I don't balance well and things don't get done. I try to balance more toward my baby. He is a far bigger priority than my job. But sadly there are days I fail at both. 

Without a list the fail would be far greater. 

So getting up earlier has given me time to write down my thoughts, ideas and to dos and implement them before little boy awakes. 

Do you know the song? "I got the sun in the mornin' and the moon at night..." It's from Annie get your gun. (It's called I got the sun in the morning.) 

In the song our heroine, Annie, sings about the things she doesn't have- diamonds, pearls etc. But she is grateful for what she does have, the sun in the morning and the moon at night. 

Do you find that when you great the sunrise you feel more grateful, more balanced, more righted? This morning there isn't much of a sun in South Alabama. It's overcast and icky, but I know the sun is there and will be up behind the clouds and I am grateful to have just a few moments of quiet as the light begins to fill my living room. 

Can I call it early to rise when I never really went to sleep? 

Is there a secret to getting comfortable in the bed when you're in your third trimester? If you know can you share it with me?

Last night I was like a giant, very moody fish, flopping from one side to the other. Geez Louise! Hip pain, back pain, restless legs and heartburn! Not to mention the need to visit the bathroom every hour. Isn't pregnancy beautiful?

So today I shuffle down the hall to my living room, my bearfeet to heavy to be lifted off the hardwood floor. My body is tired with exhaustion that only comes from growing another human. But I have things to do. Important things to do. 

I have clients to email, pages to write and a sweet little boy who needs breakfast. So I rise and I muddle and I look for a little grace. And maybe a nap. 

Why do we choose to set our alarm clocks and get out of bed? Why do we pick that particular time? What is the bigger goal in all of this? 

Well for me I need the time to be quiet, pray, to start my to do list, begin working and have five minutes alone.

If I don't I feel the push of the day. I feel pulled in five different directions. 

I need the morning hours or minutes to just get my act together, write down my thoughts and goals for the day and give myself a little peace. 

I have always been a goal oriented person. I was a newspaper reporter afterall. I live and die by the deadlines, and now that they are self-imposed I have to work even harder to press on and get my act together. 

What motivates you? 

With everything that's been going on my life the last few weeks it would be easy for me to make an excuse to stay in bed until I head the baby crying. 

Let me just say, if you're tired and you want to stay in the bed until the baby cries, do it. You know your life, you know your family, you know your body. I don't. 

This morning I pushed on. I got up. I said a prayer and then my feet hit the floor so I could start my day. Sure. I wasn't awake for hours and hours before the baby got up. But I had a few quiet minutes alone. 

I am not going to let the past few days get me off track. 

The baby was up til 1 a.m. His screams of pain pulled me from my bed long before I could drift to sleep. 

Yesterday he was diagnosed with an ear infection. 

His scream of pain broke through the night and my husband and I both stumbled to his side. It was 1 a.m. before he returned to sleep. It was hours of rocking, shushing, whispering and crying. At one point my baby and I were both sobbing. 

So this morning I didn't get up when my clock told me I should. I slept until my body told me it was okay. What good am I to him if I am too tired to remember my middle name? 

But I still made it up before he did. I am exhausted. He is exhausted. But we keep pressing on.